


OITNB ABC Challenge

by Thenightbelongstodreamers



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: ABC Challenge, F/F, I LOVE CAROL, My gay ass can't cope with her
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 11:03:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15817575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thenightbelongstodreamers/pseuds/Thenightbelongstodreamers
Summary: 26 letters in the alphabet. 26 prompts. 26 one-shots.





	1. A is for Asphyxiation

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything for years but Carol Denning now owns my ass. <3

A is for Asphyxiation 

Carol Denning’s reputation proceeded her wherever she went. You had first learnt her name when you and several other convicts were being transferred to Litchfield Max. You hadn’t paid much attention all day, still relieving the moment a verdict of guilty was read out in the courtroom but as the miles melted away and you got closer to your new home, you pulled yourself out of your stupor long enough to catch the end of the conversation happening behind you.

“Well I heard she choked an inmate with a jolly rancher her first week in prison.”

“Woah backtrack.” You heard yourself say as you swung round slightly in your seat. “Who did what with a jolly rancher?” 

“Some broad named Carol Denning. Y’know I hear her sister is even worse. You ever done hard time?”  
You slowly shook your head, still not believing that after today you would be able to answer yes to that question. The other women shared a look and beckoned you closer.

“I’m only telling you this so your ass isn’t killed the second you walk in there. Keep your fucking head down and if you hear someone say ‘bull true’ turn the fuck around –“

“Bull true? Is- Is that a thing?”

“It’s her thing.”  
\- - -  
“Turn and face the wall inmate.” Already you were sick of being referred to as ‘inmate’. The women who had been on your bus had already been shuffled off to their assigned blocks and you stood alone, anxiously waiting to be subjected to the next degrading act. You really hoped you wouldn’t have to – 

“Inmate, step over there and remove all articles of clothing.” Fucking really?! You shuffled as fast as you could and biting back tears, quickly removed your jacket, shirt, trousers and underwear. Handing them to the guard, you stood awkwardly in the corner whilst the guards examined you for what you hoped would be the final time. One of them handed you a bundle of clothes and a net bag containing a pillow, blanket and some basic toiletries, and you pulled the clothing on, not paying any attention to its colour until you were herded down the corridor with the other women dressed in blue. 

“Jesus fuck why did I have to be shoved in C-Block?” The women next to you groaned as the guards kept everyone in line.

“Why? What’s so bad about that?”

“You don’t know shit about this place do you cookie? Put it this way – do you have a sister?”

You were startled at the question but answered yes anyway.

“Do you love her?”

“Of course I do.” The woman sucked her teeth and shook her head with a smirk on her lips.

“Well, the woman who runs this block sure as shit didn’t. I heard she locked her little sister in a car and pushed her into a lake. That’s some cold ass shit right there. “  
Your eyes grew wide and you could feel your heartbeat pick up the closer you got to C-Block and by the time you were being pointed towards your bunk, you were ready to crack. It was amazing that you could put one foot in front of the other and you found yourself crossing the open space relatively quickly. You didn’t know the correct way to introduce yourself to your new roommate so settled on knocking on the door and making yourself appear as small as possible.  
The other woman didn’t even look up, merely pointing at the top bunk before flicking through the pages of her magazine.

“Ummm hi I’m – “

“I don’t give a fuck. Dump your shit and get out cookie.” You threw your bag onto the top bunk and dashed out of the cell, determined not to break down in front of the woman who didn’t even have the curtsey to look up from her Burt Reynolds poster. 

You settled on a quiet table in the far corner and tried not to draw attention to yourself and the fact that you were in the midst of a full-blown panic attack. You hadn’t realised until now how difficult it was to catch your breath. It felt like someone was sitting on your chest, or you had run a marathon. You were used to panic attacks but they had never been this bad before. You couldn’t help but think about that woman with the jolly rancher, or the little girl in the back seat of a car, both panicking just as you were, knowing full well they couldn’t survive without oxygen for long. I can’t breathe…I can’t breathe….breathe!  
You let out a strangled gasp and tightened your hands into fists, counting backwards from 10 like your father had taught you when you were younger, hoping, praying that you would survive this. You had to survive this.

“You crumbling already cookie?” Someone muttered behind you, taping you on the shoulder and smirking as you jumped in your seat. You glanced over and gulped down lungful’s of air as your new roommate smirked down at you before sitting in the seat to your left. She nodded at your shaking hands and you bit your lip, willing them to stop. You wanted everything to fucking stop.

“I’m not crumbling….s’just hard to breath is all….feels like a jolly rancher was shoved down my throat.” You muttered the last part but your roommate heard every word and she grinned.

“So the rumours have hit you already huh? What else have you heard?” You weren’t overly confident that repeating rumours to someone you had just met was a good idea, but there was something about her expression which made you dread the consequences if you didn’t share what you had learnt. You glanced around and repeated the story you had heard when you were being herded down the corridor and your roommate giggled. She has a nice laugh…. 

“Yeah, you don’t wanna mess with the boss of this place. That little cunt had it coming and for the record, it was a gobstopper, not a jolly rancher.” She winked down at you and stood abruptly, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a lollipop. Your eyes widened in disbelief.

“Bullshit!” She placed her hand on the table and sucked the sugary treat into her mouth slowly, her eyes never leaving yours. She pulled the lollipop from her mouth and smirked at your reddened cheeks.

“Bull true.” 

As she sauntered away, you found yourself short of breath for the second time that day.


	2. B is for Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I have had loads of ideas for this letter but this one stuck out the most. I'm working on a more light-hearted idea which I'll probably publish soon but thought I would give it a go :)

You had never been so grateful to be out of your cell.

36 hours was a long time to do nothing but stare at the ceiling and wait for your gracious overlords to open the doors. You had tried not to worry after all what good would it have done? You had no idea what had happened; one minute you were on your way to watch C – Block play D – Block at kickball, the next you were being manhandled by some very handsy guards back into your cell. Your bunkie had joined you a few minutes later covered in grass stains and blood, leaving you to spend the next few hours grilling her over what happened on the kickball field.

“How many times I gotta tell you?” She snapped. “Carol punched Barb, Carol cut Barb, Carol stabbed the ground a bunch of times then we all got our asses dragged inside. Don’t make me repeat that again!”

You had reluctantly backed off at that point and spent the remainder of the night ringing your hands and staring out the tiny window on the door, hoping to see Carol being dropped back to her cell by the guards. It was easily the longest night of your life and you practically lunged for the door when you saw the guards walking towards you.

“Fucking finally.” You whispered as you weaved through the crowd towards Carol’s usual table. Not seeing any sign of her, you placed your hands on the table and leaned in close.

 “Where’s Carol?” You asked the women she usually sat with. They glanced at each other nervously and shrugged their shoulders. It was no secret that Carol had taken a shine to you the moment you got here, and although it had terrified you at the time, you couldn’t deny how helpful her influence was in getting some answers.   

Johnson turned to you. “Not seen her since she and Barb were dragged off the pitch.”

“What the fuck you’re supposed to know where she is?” The angry glares you received in response where enough to remind you that they could easily kick your ass regardless of what Carol had said, so you backed off and quickly headed for the exit. _Ok,_ you thought as you turned left down the corridor. D _ragged off implies she was kicking and screaming and that means she’s alive…fuck Carol where are you?_

Seeing no-one was around, you broke into a gentle run, speeding up as you passed the empty laundry room. _Ok, not there._

You peered into the salon she had become slightly obsessed with and seeing it empty, sprinted down the corridor again before coming to an abrupt stop outside the library. You paused, you’re eyes narrowing slightly as you heard a rhythmic thud, like someone throwing books around. Knowing only one person with the balls to destroy government property (in broad daylight at least) you slowly crept into the room, walking towards the hidden area at the back and peered around the shelves. Sure enough, you watched Carol grab another heavy book off the shelf, glance at the cover for a brief moment before throwing it against the back wall with a scream of rage.

Overwhelmed with relief at seeing her unharmed but knowing better than to interrupt, you crossed your arms and forced yourself to hold back. You had seen her in these types of moods before and you knew it was safer for everyone involved to let her work through her anger before trying to figure out what had caused it. You watched as she tore pages from the book clasped tightly in her hand, before dropping it on to the floor and raising her now clenched fist, forcing it against the wall with a scream and a dull thud.

“Hey!” You lunged forward and caught her arm before she could lay another punch against the concrete. She whirled round to face you and you took a step back as she glared at you with red-tinged eyes. You dropped her arm and bit your lip as she snarled at you.

“Don’t touch me! Don’t you ever fucking touch me!” You had never seen her this angry before and you would be lying if you said you weren’t frightened. She seemed to sense your fear and pressed forward, curling her lip as she pushed you into the bookcase behind you.

“Did you know she was gonna do this?!”

“Who?”

“Frieda you idiot! Don’t you fucking lie to me you knew didn’t you?”

“I’m not lying I don’t even know what happened!”

“How could you not know?! The whole fucking block knows that bitch got me 30 more years!” She slammed her hand into the bookcase beside your head and you flinched at the loud sound.

“….what?” _This couldn’t be happening._ You let your head roll back against the shelf as you struggled to make sense of what she had just said. She sneered and turned away and you could only watch as she slapped the wall with both hands and leaned against it.

 “30 fucking years! That scheming cunt, I’ll kill her twice for this! 30 years…” She trailed off with an angry sob and you watched Carol’s shoulders shake as she tried to keep her tears at bay.

You stepped forward and slipped under her outstretched arms, wrapping one arm around her stomach and the other around her shoulders. Your fingers slipped into her hair and you pulled her into you as she struggled to get away. You held on tightly, grimacing as her fists collided with your back and side but you refused to let go even as her screams of rage broke into heavy sobs.

“I’ll die in here…..I’m never getting out…” She sagged against you as the weight of Frieda’s action hit her, and it took every ounce of your self-control to not go out and find the bitch. She had robbed Carol of any chance of freedom, of any life outside these walls and your eyes welled up with tears as you realised the gravity of the situation. There was nothing you could say; in all likelihood, Carol would never feel the sun on her face as a free woman again, and any hope of you and her having a future when you were free was officially gone. 

Her heavy, rage-filled sobs filled the room and you slowly stroked her hair, muttering in her ear that it would be ok, that you would never leave her, that they would fix this. You knew she didn’t believe you but you kept repeating it anyway. Eventually, she pulled back and you smiled at her steamed up glasses. Slowly removing them from her face, you cleaned the large lenses using the edge of your sleeve and tucked them into your pocket for the time being. She watched you closely as the glasses disappeared into your pocket and you leaned forwardly slowly, brushing your lips against hers for a few seconds before reluctantly pulling away, already missing the taste of her. She sniffed loudly and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

“You look like shit.”

“Gimme my glasses back so I can say the same about you.” You giggled and tucked a strand of reddish-brown hair behind her ear before placing her glasses on the bridge of her nose. She adjusted the lenses and you pushed her towards the green mattress shoved in the corner. She gripped your hand and pulled you down with her leaning her head against your shoulder as you sat in comfortable silence.

“You tell anyone about this and you’ll be dead by the end of the week.” You chucked at the threat and placed a light kiss on her forehead.

“Like anyone would believe me. Besides, you’re gonna need me to help carry out your revenge plan.”

“The bitch rolled down the hill to minimum.” _Of course she did_. It was completely fine for her to ruin the lives of those around her just to improve her surroundings, never mind the dozens of inmates who got extra time thanks to Frieda's revenge plan. You really hoped she never got sent back to max because you weren’t sure who would kill her first. Deciding that thinking about Frieda wasn’t good for your blood pressure you glanced down at Carol, who had tucked her head firmly into your neck. You cocked your head and she glanced up at you, slightly annoyed that you had disturbed her. Her brow furrowed as you refused to meet her eyes and she followed your gaze to her hand, frowning at the bruised and reddened knuckles. You took her hand and cradled it gently, your thumb running back and forth over the raised flesh.

“Let’s think of another way you can use those fingers.” You muttered to yourself, completely oblivious to Carol’s bright red cheeks. Despite her bravado and tough girl act, sex made Carol very uncomfortable. Your thumb paused over her flesh and your eyes grew wide as you realised what you had just said.

“Shit, I didn’t mean like for sex…well not yet anyway—unless you don’t want to ever do that…which would be fine—totally fine-“ Your rambling was cut off by Carol jabbing you in the side with a cocky grin covering her cheeks.

“Soon.” You knew that Carol hadn’t done anything with anyone before; she was thrown in prison before she could have the chance and now was definitely not the time to do anything so you smiled and nodded. Soon.

“So if that’s not what you meant….”

You laughed and she watched as you put your hand in your pocket and pulled out an old pack of playing cards, opening the top and sliding the cards into your hand. Giving them a quick shuffle you placed the deck on the mattress between you.

“You ever heard of a game called bridge?”

 


	3. C is for Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ironically I now have a sore throat and runny nose...

C is for Cold

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? You look like shit.” You coughed weakly and forced your fingers to grip the edge of the blanket and peel it away from your pale face. You had been laid up sick for the last 20 something hours and frankly felt like shit. The fact that you apparently also looked like shit annoyed you more than it typically would, and you glared at the taller woman who looked down at you with a mixture of amusement and concern.

You opened your mouth to reply but before you could cut her down with your scathing response, another round of harsh coughing overpowered you. You felt the bed dip and tried to focus on Carol’s warm hand rubbing your back in slow circles as your body was thrown forward by the ferocity of the coughs. Once it had finally subsided you whimpered and fell backwards into her waiting arms.

“Baby?”

You blinked and gazed up at her. “M’fine….s’just a cold…” Carol frowned at your stubbornness and reached for the glass of water she had left on the bedside table an hour ago. Handing it to you, she watched as you took a few sips before grimacing and trying to hand it back.

“Baby you haven’t drunk anything since last night, just try and drink a bit more.” You whimpered and her heart broke to see you so unwell. At least in prison you were (eventually) able to get medication from the doctors, or if you were really lucky, able to take an extended vacation to medical, but out here in the real world you had to pretty much fend for yourself. After forcing a few more sips down your scratchy throat you handed the glass back and settled back against the pillows as Carol slipped out from behind you and started searching for her jeans.

“Where you goin?” She turned, holding her jeans in one hand and smiled softly at the sight of you. You had burrowed further under the blankets with the top of your head being the only visible part of you, apart from your right foot which was sticking out over the edge of the bed. She quickly slipped her jeans over her slim hips and grabbed a t-shirt from the floor before shuffling over to sit on the edge of the bed.

“To get some medicine seeing as you’re a stubborn ass.” She tugged on a pair of socks and reached for her wallet.

“Take my purse, s’on the dresser.”

“You sayin’ I’m cheap?”

You shook your head and grimaced at the new throbbing in your temples. She frowned, her forehead crinkling in worry. She hated seeing you unwell even if it was just a cold.

“I can afford a few things, what shall I pick up?” Having to look after another human being was something Carol had avoided most of her life and she had no idea what to do. She had grown up with parents who had never stayed home from work when she was sick, or made her soup or even held her hand so it’s not like she could draw on their examples. Growing up, she had prided herself on being independent; no one to depend on and no one to depend on her and that’s how it had been for most of her life and the majority of her prison sentence. But then you had walked into her cell like a terrified child and she had been overwhelmed by the indescribable urge to protect you, to save you from the hell that you had entered. That feeling had only gotten stronger since you were both released from Litchfield.

“Painkillers ….I think we have cough medicine in the bathroom.” She nodded and stroked your cheek before leaning down to kiss your lips. You squirmed away and covered your mouth with the corner of the blanket.

“Don’t want you to catch this.” Carol gripped the fabric and tugged it away before placing her thinner lips on yours, kissing you deeply before reluctantly pulling away.

“I don’t get sick.” If you had the energy you would have rolled your eyes. In all the years you had known her, Carol had not once gone to medical with an illness. You kept your eyes closed as you listened to her move around the room, grabbing her keys, phone and wallet before grumbling over not being able to find her shoes.

“Where did I throw – “Her voice trailed off as she gazed at your sleeping face, your shallow breath rustling the stray hairs that had fallen across your eye. Feeling a wave of adoration, she crept forward and delicately tucked the hair behind your ear, leaning down to kiss your forehead before tiptoeing out of the room.

-/-/-

“How many brands of Paracetamol are there?” Carol grumbled under her breath as she grabbed three different packets and shoved them in her basket, trudging up and down the aisle and grabbing items she hoped would be of some use. She tried desperately to remember what the prison doctors had handed out during the flu epidemic of 94’ but even her memory wasn’t that amazing. So far she had collected Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, cough syrup (just in case), three bottles of Lucozade, a cold compress, a box of tissues and some hand sanitizer.

Not 100% that what she had picked up would be of any benefit, Carol headed towards the store assistant.

“Hey tweedledum.” The young man looked up and forced a cheerful smile on his face. Carol already hated him.

“Good morning Ma’am how can I help you today?” _Fucking Ma’am?!_

“Drop the happy go lucky shit would ya? My girlfriend has a cold.”

“Ah well it is the season. Let me ring these up for you.” She reluctantly handed over her basket and followed him to the cashier, tapping her foot impatiently as he began scanning the items and placing them in a carrier bag.

“Is there anything else you think she’ll need?” She reluctantly asked; loathed to admit that she had no idea what she was doing. The clerk smiled and Carol gritted her teeth, barely resisting the urge to strangle him.

“Well it looks like you’ve got everything you need – is your girlfriend clumsy?”

“What’s it to you?” _Fucking creep._

“Well the cough syrup can make you pretty drowsy. I remember taking some and 10 minutes I stood up too quick and cracked my head on the counter. Spent two days in the ER.” He chuckled and started scanning the Lucozade unaware of the wide eyes and nervous expression of his customer.

“Throw in that first aid kit as well.” He nodded, scanned the item and placed it in the bag.

“There you are that will be $33.45.” Reluctantly she opened her wallet and grimaced at the lack of cash before reaching for your card and handing it over to him. He swiped the card and handed it back before holding the bag of items in front of him.

“Have a pleasant day ma’am.” _Fuck off._

-/-/-

Juggling the large bag, keys and a container of chicken soup she had picked up from the restaurant on the corner, Carol forced the key into the lock, turned the knob and slipped inside their apartment. Dumping the bags on the floor she kicked the door shut, gritting her teeth at the loud sound and cursing herself for forgetting that you were probably still asleep.

“Carol? That you?”

“God fucking shit.” She muttered under her breath. She picked up the bags and walked into the bedroom, grateful to see you sitting up and looking slightly less pale.

“I’m sorry babe did I wake you up?”

“Don’t worry I was awake.” Carol placed the large bag on the bed and placed her hand on your forehead. You sighed at the coolness and closed your eyes for a moment.

“Still warm babe have you been awake long?”

You shook your head and watched as she kicked her shoes into the corner and started emptying the bag.

“Is there anything left in the store?” Carol thought she had been quiet restrained given the circumstances. You reached for a bottle of Lucozade and held it to your chest in gratitude before another item caught your attention.

“What’s with the first aid kit?” Carol blushed, reluctant to admit that her fear of you falling and hitting your head had influenced a number of her purchases.

 “You’re clumsy.” Your scoff of indignation quickly turned into another coughing fit and Carol was by your side within seconds, reaching for the box of tissues and rubbing your hand.

“Stupid cold… and I’m not clumsy.”

Carol squeezed your hand before leaving to put the soup in the fridge, giving you time to rearrange your bedside table to accommodate the new items she had bought. You took the bottle of cough syrup, cracked the seal and took a large gulp just as Carol returned with a spoon. She curled her lip in disgust and you shrugged your shoulders.

“What?”

“That’s gross.”

You rolled your eyes and placed the bottle on the side before shuffling further down the bed and pulling the covers tight around you. The bed dipped and you sighed as Carol stroked your warm cheek before placing a soft kiss on your nose.

“What’s that for?” You could already feel yourself falling back to sleep and you cursed this cold for the tenth time that day.

“Your nose is cold.”

“Every part of me is cold!” Your teeth started to chatter as you wrapped the blanket around yourself tighter.

“Let’s warm you up a bit then.” You watched as she removed her jeans and bra and waited with baited breath for Carol to pull back the covers and slip into the bed beside you. She wrapped her arms around you, pulling you tight against her warm body as she rubbed your arms and back, peppering your forehead with kisses as you struggled to get closer. You felt your eyes getting heavier and you pushed yourself deeper into her arms.

“Thanks for looking after me.” You muttered as you drifted off to sleep. Carol blushed and held you tighter.

“Any time love.”

 


	4. D is for Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Dear god this was the hardest thing to write. I had soooo many ideas for this letter but every time I started something I would end up deleting it. So I settled on this idea – hopefully, it’s not too terrible.

Carol ran her fingers through her tousled hair for the 3rd time that hour before gripping the pillow next to her and shoving it over her face. She hadn’t been able to sleep properly since she had left that hellhole Litchfield Max. You had promised her that it would get easier, that you would adapt to not being watched every hour of your life, but so far nothing had been easy.

Sitting up slightly so she could see the clock over the top of your head, she let out a muffled curse. 2:04 am.

“This is bullshit.” She had only fallen asleep three hours ago and yet here she was wide awake. She thought she might know the reason why but was loathed to admit to anyone but herself. It was too dark. She had scoffed when you had brought it up after the third sleepless night but now she was beginning to wonder if you might have a point.  
She glanced at the open door leading to the hall and shuddered. The darkness was just so …dark. It was an all-consuming darkness that light couldn’t escape from. The hall had no windows, no sources of artificial life and Carol had hated it with every fibre of her being.

When she had first arrived at Litchfield she couldn’t fall asleep because of that damn light spilling into their cells through the window but now she was loathed to admit that she couldn’t fall asleep without it. Prison had stolen her dignity, her freedom and now her sleep.

“Carol?” She jumped at your sleep filled voice and turned to face you, just about making out the shape of your face through the dark. She hated this part more than not being able to sleep. She hated that you were constantly woken up in the middle of the night because she couldn’t get her shit together.

“Did I wake you?” You rubbed your eyes and leaned over to press your nose into the hollow of her neck, inhaling deeply then pulling back and covering your mouth as you yawned. She hated the fact that you worried about her. She had seen the way you looked at her as she reached for another cup of coffee in the early mornings or how you always placed a lingering kiss on her cheek when she blinked a bit too heavily.

“Can’t sleep?” Carol sighed heavily. You shifted closer and wrapped an arm around her slender waist, tucking your head under her chin as she placed a soft kiss to your forehead.

“It will get better –“

“You’ve said that for three fuckin weeks.” You bit your lip at her tone; you knew she didn’t mean it, she was just overtired. You felt her fingers trail across the slither of skin between your pyjama top and shorts and felt yourself melting into her side.

“Didn’t mean that –“

“I know hon.” You tilted your head and captured her lips with yours. Pulling back, you twisted around and glared at your empty nightstand.

“Where you going?” Carol asked as you reluctantly threw back the covers and swung your legs over the edge of the bed. She reached for you and hooked her fingers into your waistband, tugging you back gently. You swatted her hand and the elastic snapped back against you making you jump at the sensation.

“I forgot to get a drink before bed, I’ll be right back. Do you want anything”? Carol was grateful that the darkness meant you couldn’t see her heated cheeks. No one had ever taken care of her the way you did.

“Nope, hurry back though it’s fuckin freezing.” As if proving her point she grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around her tightly as you found your way out of the room. She shifted slightly to get comfortable and was about to close her eyes when a loud thump and a muffled curse caused her to cast the blankets aside and grab her glassed before sprinting into the dark hallway

“Baby? You alright?” She slipped her glasses on and ran her hands across the wall before thumbing the light switch and blinking rapidly against the harsh light. Once her eyes had adjusted she crossed the distance between you in three steps.

“Motherfucking table.” You leaned against the wall with your ankle resting on your knee furiously glaring at the sharp edge of the corner table as you rubbed your reddening thigh. Carol sagged against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. She knew it was ridiculous to think that you had been jumped but 30 plus years in prison had made her paranoid.  
“I told you to move that thing.”

“It doesn’t go anywhere else.” Rolling your eyes as Carol scoffed, you straightened up and took a tentative step forward before hobbling into the kitchen with Carol trailing behind you. She walked past you and pointed at one of the chairs in the corner before heading to the freezer and returning with a bag of peas and a towel. Wrapping the towel around the bag she knelt beside you and placed it on your thigh.

“Fuck that’s cold.” You whimpered. Carol smirked and glanced up at you.

“Well stop walking into things you klutz.” Gesturing for you to hold the ice bundle against your skin, she walked towards the sink and filled a glass with water, nearly dropping it when you walked up behind her, lifted her top and slammed the makeshift cold press into her back.

“You got a death wish cookie?” You bit your lip and moaned as she turned to you with a hazy look in her eye. She smirked at your reaction and handed you the glass of water as she put the bag of peas back in the freezer. Draining the cool liquid, you placed the glass back on the counter and crept up behind her, slipping your hands under her t-shirt and stroking the smooth skin of her stomach as you pressed your lips to her neck. She shifted back against you and whimpered as your lips began nibbling at her skin, your fingers inching further down until they slipped below the waistband of her shorts.

She whirled around and dragged you out of the room. “Bed. Now. Try not to bang into the table this time.”

\- /-/-/

It was the sunlight streaming through the partly closed curtain which woke you the next morning. Scrunching up your face and forcing your eyes open, you moaned at the feeling of sore muscles and slowly sat up, the covers slipping down to pool around your waist. Your eyes widened as you glanced around what had once been a pristine room and you tried not to feel a little proud at the state of the place.

“Guess I’ll be replacing that lamp in the corner.” You thought as you fell back against the pillows. You moaned under your breath as you remembered the way Carol had thrown you onto the bed a few hours before, your screams of pleasure dissolving into hoarse whispers as she pushed you over the edge again and again. Whimpering softly as you felt a wave of heat build between your legs, you turned to Carol and smiled lovingly at her peaceful expression. You reached forward and ran the tip of your finger from her temple down past her cheek and neck, to rest at the swell of her breasts.

Desperately wanting to wake her with your fingers and tongue but knowing how rare it was to see her asleep, you reluctantly left the warmth of the bed and started gathering your clothes for the day.

You knew Carol was struggling with sleeping in total darkness and despite reassuring her a hundred times that there was nothing to be ashamed off, she was still very reluctant to admit it. The woman hadn’t slept properly in weeks and you knew she would snap pretty soon.

Reaching for your phone you quickly googled the opening times of the nearest shops as an idea began to form in your mind. You were almost positive that she would hate it but you were running out of options. Neither of you could function on minimal sleep for much longer.

It had just gone half past 8. Plenty of time to slip to the shops before Carol woke up but just in case, you scribbled a few words on a piece of paper and slipped it onto the table. Spotting her glasses on the floor by the foot of the bed, you quickly folded them and placed them on top of the note before pressing your lips to her hairline and slipping out of the room.

\- /-/

Carol’s sleep was brought to a dramatic end by the obnoxious sound of your alarm. Still disoriented from sleep she waved her arms around, knocking over books and her phone before slamming her fist down onto the alarm. With the beeping mercilessly silenced, she flipped over and reached out to pull you closer. Meeting nothing but cool sheets, her eyes snapped open and her brow furrowed.

“Baby? “ Wincing at the harshness of her voice, she cleared her throat and sat up slightly. Hearing nothing but the sound of an empty apartment, she reached for her glasses and her fingertips brushed against the paper. Sliding her glasses over her nose, she scanned the letter and smiled softly, brushing her thumb across your handwriting.  
Relieved to see sunlight filling the room, she clambered out of bed and pulled on a clean pair of pyjamas before grabbing her phone and walking into the living room.  
Instead of waiting like a puppy for you to walk through the door, she busied herself with pouring instant coffee into a mug and boiling some water. You had tried to get her to drink something a bit more refined than instant, but she had rallied against it. Growing up all her family could afford was instant and she had told you several times of how she would wake up early and sneak out into the backyard to enjoy a cup of coffee before the daily Debbie show could commence. You had relented and allowed her to indulge in one of the few items from her childhood that triggered a happy memory.

Enjoying the early morning silence she closed her eyes and brought the mug to her lips, inhaling the aroma and moaning as the scorching liquid caressed her tongue. The key in the lock snapped her out of her caffeine haze and she smiled as you stumbled through the door carrying several large bags.

“Good morning hon, gimme a hand?” Carol shook her head and watched you frown and dump the bags at your feet. Standing with your hands on your hips, you cocked an eyebrow and waited for an explanation.

“Your shitty alarm went off and woke me up.” You had the good grace to look guilty and Carol relented and reached for one of the bags. You grasped her wrist and she juggled the bag into one hand.

“I’m sorry I completely forgot.” You brushed your lips against her palm and took the bag from her, quickly putting away the items as she watched you move around the kitchen.  
“Did you sleep well?”

“I don’t remember sleeping.” You blushed as she ran her hand across the small of your back.

“You looked pretty asleep when I left.”

It was Carol’s turn to blush and you laughed as she muttered “Creep” under her breath. Seeing she was about to unpack the smaller of the three bags, you lunged across the room and snatched the bag from the counter. She turned to you with a surprised look on her face and you flushed under her gaze.

“Don’t worry about this one.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t you worry you’re 80s head about it.” You tried to walk past her but she slipped one arm around your waist and pulled you back, distracting you with a hungry kiss and slipping her free hand into the bag. Pulling away with a gasp of triumph she stared at the item in her hand for a few seconds before turning to you with an unreadable expression on her face.

Oh boy….

“What the fuck is this?”

“A nightlight?”

“What is it doing in my hand?” She was really not taking this well. Usually, you would try and weasel your way out of this with humour but you had seen that look on her face before. It was a look that could still fill you with fear and you had to force yourself to remember that she would never hurt you, that you weren’t back in prison trying to stay under the radar and avoid attracting her attention. Sensing your unease, Carol forced her fingers to unclench around the nightlight.

“It’s for me!”

Neither of you were expecting that response and you scrambled to get your thoughts in order before she called you a fucking liar.

“I’m a klutz, I mean have you seen the size of this bruise?” Carols eyes widened and flickered down to your jean covered thigh. “I was shopping and saw it and thought it would come in handy I mean if you think I am leaving the hall light on every night you are very much mistak—ooof!” Carol had thrown the nightlight onto the side while you were rambling and had now pressed her body into yours, walking you backwards until you collided with the door. A strangled gasp slipped past your lips as she ran the tip of her nose up your neck, breathing in your scent before wrapping her lips around your earlobe, biting down as your hips bucked into hers.

“Bullshit.” She rasped against you. Your eyes rolled back as her teeth nipped the underside of your jaw.

“Bull true.” You could feel her grin against your skin as you gasped her catchphrase back at her and you felt her hands runs possessively up your thighs. You gritted your teeth as her hand brushed past the bruise on your leg and she pulled back with a concerned expression. All thoughts of possessing you, of punishing you for lying went out the window when she had felt you wince and she stepped back, taking your hand and leading you towards the sofa.

She left to retrieve your discarded sleep clothes, returning a few seconds later to see you had pulled off your trousers and were examining the mark on your leg. She let out a low whistle at the fist-sized bruise and handed you your clothes.

“Don’t worry I bruise easily.” You threw an exaggerated wink and knew she was thinking about all the times you had walked around with bruises on your body thanks to her ministrations. You settled against the cushions and waited for Carol to join you.

“You not mad at me anymore?” Carol sat beside you and shook her head.

“I don’t need a nightlight.”

“I know.”

“I’m not a fucking child.”

“I know.”

“…Is it…I mean could it work?” This vulnerable side of Carol broke your heart.

“We won’t know until we try and if it doesn’t work we will try something else. Trust me.” Carol’s shoulders slumped and you squeezed her hand lovingly, reaching towards the bowl of sweets on the side and handing her a red lollipop.

-/-/-/-/-

The conversation around the nightlight had been dropped and you spent the remainder of the day binge-watching Wentworth on Netflix and consuming an unhealthy amount of take out. As the hours ticked by and the evening settled in, you waited for Carol to start her night time routine before retrieving the discarded nightlight. It had taken you ages to find the right one and you clicked it into the wall socket and turned it on, leaving the bedroom door open as you went to brush your teeth.

20 minutes later found you both tucked in bed with the thick covers surrounding your entwined bodies. Carol had wrapped her arm around your waist as you rested your head against her chest, letting the rhythmic thud of her heartbeat lull you to sleep.

“S’only temporary.” You had muttered before pressing yourself into her side and falling into a deep sleep. She peered down at you as her eyes grew heavy for the first time in weeks and she pulled you closer, placing a lingering kiss on your forehead and letting the soft, green, familiar light carry her into a blissful sleep.


	5. E is for Eclipse

E Is for Eclipse

A/N: Sorry it’s a bit late – not sure what happened to the last week and a half, it just disappeared. Hope this is ok :) 

Leaning against the wall with your left foot resting behind you, you turned your head to the right and glanced down the long line of women in front of you and sighed. You had never seen the line this long before, but then again it wasn’t every day that commissary started selling newspapers to the inmates. 

You rolled your eyes in annoyance as the woman at the front of the queue practically skipped past you holding a rolled up newspaper. 

“Pretty sure you can’t read but whatever.” You muttered under your breath.

You didn’t have time to dwell on why she needed a newspaper as the line in front of you began shuffling forward. Finally, you stood in front of the window and drummed your knuckles nervously against the little wooden ledge.

“Paper?” The woman behind the glass asked you. You think her name was Jackson but you weren’t really sure. Then again she was D block, and you knew if you went around calling every D block inmate by their name Madison would accuse you of getting too friendly with the enemy.

You nodded and watched with baited breath as she reached behind her and handed you the rolled up paper. Taking it gently, you couldn’t help but cradle it in your palms as if holding a newborn child. It had been months since you had felt the crisp paper against your fingertips, smelt the lingering ink on your skin and to say you were over the moon would be an understatement. 

“Move it along creep.” You were snapped back to reality by a harsh voice behind you, and you realised you had been running your fingers along the headlines for a bit too long. You ducked your head in embarrassment and quickly began your walk back to C Dorm. 

Excitement welled up inside of you as you began to plan where you would read today’s headlines. Should you wait until rec time and read it outside or should you read it back in your cell? The possibilities made you giddy and by the time the gates of C-Block had closed behind you, you had made up your mind. Strolling towards the collection of trays in the centre of the room, you picked one up and grabbed a cup of coffee before heading towards a secluded table tucked into the corner. 

You passed Carol and her ladies who looked to be in the middle of a game of Bridge, although you weren’t 100% sure. Cards had never been your strong point, despite the countless hours spent in private tuition with the C Dorm boss. She and you locked eyes and you felt your cheeks burn as her eyes roamed over your body, returning to her cards with a satisfied smirk. Ducking your head you placed your tray down and sat facing Carol’s table, watching them from afar for a few minutes before turning to the very important matter at hand. 

With shaking hands, you turned the first page and dived into reading through the headlines, desperate to catch up on everything you had missed while you had been imprisoned. Your gaze lingered on one headline and you muttered “the world’s gone mad” under your breath. You turned the pages and tried to ignore the stories that seemed to exist only to scare its readers, flicking through the advertisements until you stumbled across the weather forecast for the coming week. 

“…thunderstorms which have threatened to ruin this week’s Lunar Eclipse are due to clear up before Tuesday; a relief to many stargazers as the first Lunar Eclipse of the year is due to occur in the early hours of the 31st…..”

Your eyes widened in shock as you thumbed back through the pages to stare at the date on the cover. 30th January 2018.

“Son of a bitch.” 

“You should watch your language cookie.” Cringing at the harsh accent of Carol’s faithful lackey, you tried not to roll your eyes as Madison and her crew appeared in front of you, blocking your view of Carol. One of them reached for your paper and you gripped it tightly, glaring at them until they backed off slightly.

“Ohh someone’s had an extra-large cup of coffee this mornin’.” Madison sat on the stool opposite you and gestured at the paper.

“So what’s got your panties in a bunch?” You eyed each of them in turn before reluctantly opening the paper back to the weather section and placing it in front of you. 

“Tha weatha? Cookie it ain’t like we’re gonna get a tan in here.” Before you could protest she had snatched up the paper and started rifling through the pages, her brow furrowing as she scanned over the various news items. The sudden theft of your property coupled with the crushing realisation that you would miss the lunar eclipse pushed you over the edge and you stood abruptly, pushing your tray away and glaring at Madison. 

“What’s the matter Fatison can’t read? Don’t worry I’m sure there are some cartoons in the back you can look at. After I’m done.” You successfully wrestled the paper from her hands and with a look of disgust stormed past the women and heading towards your cell.   
\- /-/-/-/-/-  
Carol watched you storm across the common area before disappearing into the cell she shared with you. She could practically hear the bed springs protest as she imagined you collapsing face down onto the thin mattress. Glancing down at her winning cards, she reluctantly threw them down and stepped away from the table, throwing the word “fold” over her shoulder as she walked towards the cell.

She leaned against the door and tilted her head to the side. Sure enough, you were lying face down on the bottom bunk, the newspaper still clenched tightly in your right hand. She gazed down at you and smiled softly before slipping into the room and knocking your knee with her hand. You dutifully raised your legs and you felt the bed dip as she joined you, her fingers gripping your ankle and pulling your legs back down to rest on her lap. 

Neither of you spoke for several minutes; you concentrated on the feel of her fingers stroking your skin while Carol simply enjoyed the rare moments of silence before addressing the elephant in the room. 

“You gonna tell me what Badison did to piss you off?”

“Mphmm.” Carol rolled her eyes as your voice was muffled by your pillow. You squeaked as she pinched your calf and you raised yourself onto your forearms and threw a glare over your shoulder. She raised an eyebrow and waited for you to roll over. You did so with a huff and quickly settled yourself back against your pillow, choosing to stare up at the bed above you rather than look at Carol. 

“This is cute and all but I’m missing bridge so spit it out already.”

You sighed in frustration. Why could she not have left you alone to dwell over the unfairness of everything? Why did she have to be so protective? 

“She didn’t do anything –“

“Why did I throw away the winning hand then if the lapdog didn’t do anything?”

“Didn’t ask you to throw your cards away…. Didn’t ask you to storm in here either.” You muttered the last part under your breath. The hand caressing your ankle stilled and you reluctantly looked over at Carol. The piercing look she threw at you before lunging forward made you instantly regret opening your mouth. 

She pushed your legs off her lap, gripped your wrists and tugged you roughly towards her. You bit your lip as her angry gaze bore into you and you whimpered as her grip on your wrists tightened.

“You better tell me what the fuck is going on.”

You sighed, knowing it would be best to come clean and face the ridicule she would subject you to rather than annoy her any further. Working your left wrist free from her grip, you reached behind you and picked up the now crumpled newspaper, turning the pages to the weather section and handing it to Carol. She scanned the words and glanced up at you with a confused expression, dropping your other wrist as she turned the paper over in her hands.

“This supposed to mean something?”

You took a deep breath to compose yourself. “Lunar eclipse tonight.” You muttered. You felt your shoulders slump as if a huge weight had been lifted and you looked over at Carol, expecting her to simply nod her head and gather you in her arms. Instead, she stared back at you, trying to figure out the meaning behind those three words. 

“…ok? Wait is this your way of saying you’re on your period because I swear to god…”

“Eww no!”

“…You’re not one of those cookies who believe in horoscopes and shit are you?” You would have laughed at her disgusted expression if the topic of discussion wasn’t so serious. Well, serious to you at least. 

“Y’know what it’s not important.” You went to stand but Carol slipped her arm around your waist and pulled you back, preventing you from escaping.  
“Sooner you tell me the sooner I can go back to my game so will you please just tell me why a lunar eclipse has turned you into a needy teenager?”

“It’s stupid…really stupid.” After a few seconds of mumbling to yourself, you snatched the paper back and pulled your knees tight against your chest, resting your chin on your knees as you stared at the opposite wall. 

You tried to ignore Carol blatantly staring at you; pretty confident that you knew what she was thinking. But what Carol was thinking couldn’t be further from what you thought. Quite frankly Carol was starting to get very worried. She hadn’t seen you this out of sorts since your first week in prison when you had skirted around the edge of the communal area like a scared animal. It had taken a lot of effort on Carol’s part to bring you out of your shell and there was no way she was going to let you sink back to those dark days. She shuffled forward and ran her fingers along your arm, waiting for you to open up and let her in. 

“It will be the first Lunar Eclipse I’ve missed.” You couldn’t disguise the choked up sound of your voice and you refused to look at Carol; you couldn’t bear to see her scoff and roll her eyes. “I’ve seen at least one every year with my grandfather since I was a little kid. When Mom and Dad were fighting, I would look at the calendar and know that for one or two nights out of the year, I could escape from that hell hole. We wouldn’t really talk on those nights; he never really knew what to say to me as I got older and we barely spoke after I came out to him, but despite everything, he always made sure I saw an eclipse. Those nights helped me survive.”

You turned to Carol with tears in your eyes. “He died. Just before I got my sentence. Dad said I broke his heart.” 

You roughly wiped your eyes and clenched the newspaper, staring at it for a few minutes before tearing the pages, the pain and anger you had kept bottled up finally breaking through. Carol didn’t stop you, merely waiting until the newspaper had disintegrated into tiny pieces before pulling you into her chest and rocking you back and forth gently. Your chest shook as you tried to suppress the sobs threatening to overpower you, refusing to let the tears welling up in your eyes fall.

“It wasn’t your fault. I’ve got you, its ok.” Carol pressed her lips to your forehead, her heartbreaking as your tears finally began to soak through her blue shirt. After what felt like an eternity but was really only a few minutes, you eventually pulled away from her, sniffling softly as she brushed away the stray tears that clung to your flushed cheeks. 

“You look like shit kid.” You choked out a chuckle and she smiled back in relief. Her smile turned into a look of concern as you forced yourself off the bed and she reached to pull you back. You slipped out of her grip and glanced at her over your shoulder, gesturing out towards the communal area where other women were slowly gathering to one side. 

“I’ve got work detail until later this evening – they want us to clean the whole damn prison.”

“I can get Brock to swap with you?” You shook your head, telling her it would be a good distraction from the shit floating around your head. You splashed some cold water onto your face before reaching for the jacket hanging by the cell door. Carol clambered off the bed and handed you her grey beanie, watching you tug it over your ears before leaning down to softly lock your lips with hers. 

She pulled back and squeezed your hand reassuringly before you slipped out of the cell to line up along the wall with the other lucky inmates on clean-up duty. Carol forced herself to not watch you leave, instead busying herself with cleaning up the mess you had made, although that didn’t take very long. Glancing around the cell to make sure nothing was out of place, she walked back out and made a beeline for her usual table.

“Badison, set up a meeting with Hellman. He needs to make something happen for me.”   
-/-/-/-/-/  
After god knows how many hours of scrubbing, sweeping and tidying you somehow found your way back to your cell. You had overheard the ginger guard saying the prison would be visited by some MCC officials (you wondered if one of them would be the woman who was mistaken for an inmate and had her head shaved) in the next few days and so, naturally, every inch of the prison had to be spotless. 

“Where the fuck have you been its nearly lights out?” Carol, who was already dressed for bed ran her eyes over your body just to reassure herself that you hadn’t been jumped on your way back, and once satisfied you were unharmed, threw the covers back. You quickly shed your clothes, forcing yourself to fold them out of habit and quickly brushed your teeth. Once you were wearing your prison-issued pj’s you stumbled towards Carols waiting arms, sinking into her embrace as she pulled you into her chest, reaching around to tuck the edges of the blanket around you. You both lay there, waiting for the guards to turn the lights out which they did a few minutes later. Now wrapped in darkness, Carol shuffled further down the bed and began running her fingers through your hair.

“M’tired…”

“No shit. Did they even let you have a break?” You shook your head and Carol swore under her breath. The CO’s were animals, she had told you during your first week in prison and your aching muscles definitely agreed with her statement.

“…very tired…” Carol was beginning to regret approaching Hellman earlier today now that she saw the state you were in. She wondered if it was too late to call the whole thing off. Maybe she could slip a note under the cell door for him to pick up on his rounds. No, not only would that make her look weak in front of the CO’s she knew that you could do with a surprise. Looking down at your relaxed features, she hoped that when you woke up a lot earlier than you expected, that it would be worth it. 

-/-/-/-

“You got 10 minutes.” Carol, who had been awake for a while, nodded at Hellman who stepped away from the now open cell door and stared directly ahead. Carol reached for her glasses, sliding them over her nose and blinking to adjust to the darkness before slowly rolling you over to face her. You grumbled in your sleep and she hoped for the third time that day that this was going to work.

“Hey, wake up we’ve gotta go.” Not getting a response and knowing that time definitely was of the essence, she flung back the covers and began throwing her clothes on, shoving her second blue shirt over her top and digging around for her shoes.

“C’rol? Wh’s goin’ on?” If you weren’t so damn tired you would be terrified, after all, it’s not often you are awoken in the middle of the night to see the feared C –Block boss frantically pulling on clothes as a CO stood guard. You felt your eyes start to close and your head begin to bob and you leaned into the warm hand suddenly caressing your cheek. You desperately wanted to roll over and fall back to sleep but the insistent tugging at your sleeve was making it impossible.

“Get dressed baby.” You slowly pulled on the clothes that Carol was throwing at you, watching through heavy eyelids as she knelt down and slipped your shoes on your feet, tying the shoelaces quickly before gripping your hands and pulling you to standing. Eventually, you were both wrapped in way too many layers and Carol was ushering you out of your cell. You stumbled through the prison, Carols’ arm wrapped tightly around your shoulders as you tucked your forehead into the crook of her neck.

You soon found yourself walking down the pitch black corridor leading to the yard and just before you got to the doors, Hellman turned to Carol.

“One hour…no funny business.” With a nod from Carol, he unlocked the door and watched you both shuffle outside into the freezing air before he closed the door.

“Jesus its freezing.” The cold air had shocked you into full alertness and you jumped up and down on the spot, trying to get the blood pumping to your rapidly freezing limbs. Carol smirked and shoved her hands deep into her pockets, pulling out her spare beanie and placing it over her ears. 

“Carol what’s g-going on? You’re s-starting to freak m-me out.” Carol turned to you and her eyes widened at your pink tinged nose and chattering teeth.

“Come here baby.” She pulled you close and jumped as your cold nose brushed the underside of her jaw. She pulled your hands against her chest and blew on your fingers before wrapping them in her hands and rubbing them softly. 

“Please tell me what’s going on.”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Your sleep deprived and now frozen mind was struggling to put the pieces together and after a few minutes of silence, broken only by the sound of your chattering teeth, Carol took pity on you. Spinning you around, she slipped her arms around your stomach and tucked her hands into your pockets.

She placed her head on your shoulder and you shuddered as her breath caressed your neck.

“Look up.” 

You frowned in confusion. Why would you want to look up? All you would see was the grating covering the…. “Holy shit.”

Carol hid her grin in the collar of your jacket before pressing her lips to your cheek and watching your face light up as you stared at the amber moon, your eyes scanning every inch of the familiar surface.

“You…did this?” You forced your eyes away and turned in her embrace. You gazed with wonder at Carol, who had a rare look of embarrassment on her face. She shyly nodded and blushed under your intense gaze.

“H-how?!” For a fleeting moment, you had images of Carol on her knees in a supply closet and you shook your head to clear that disgusting image from your mind.

“Nothing like that pervert.” She poked your stomach through your jacket and you blushed. 

“Why did you do this?” Carol had been expecting the question but now she was faced with it, she wasn’t sure how to answer without sounding completely whipped. 

“Well I…you were so sad and…Y’know it was a pain in the ass to listen to you whining…” Her rambling was brought to an abrupt end by your finger pressing against her lips.

“Thank you…so much.” You couldn’t resist leaning close and kissing her softly, your teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she moaned and tugged you closer. She pulled away a lot sooner than you would have liked and you groaned in frustration.

“You’re missing it…”

You gripped the lapels of her jacket and trailed your lips along her neck, chin and cheek, your lips hovering a few millimetres from her own.

“I’ll catch the next one.”

She melted into you as you slipped your cold hands under the numerous tops covering her upper half, caressing the soft skin of her side as you kissed her deeply in the middle of the yard, the Lunar Eclipse which had been such an important part of your life momentarily forgotten.


	6. F is for Favourite

A/N: Life kinda got in the way so apologies for the delay!

What a beautiful day to wake up in prison you thought as you stepped out of your cell, raising your arms above your head and moaning as the bones in your shoulders cracked. The prison mattresses certainly were not orthopaedic. What you wouldn’t give to see a chiropractor right now. Looking around the communal area, you spotted Carol and the Russian whose name escaped you sat together playing cards.

Usually, you would stroll over and join them but you weren’t so sure about this inmate. You had heard stories about the riot at Litchfield minimum and knew that the key players got extra time, but still, you were a tad cautious about approaching them. Carol didn’t usually induct newbies into her immediate circle unless they had a clear worth and you couldn’t help but wonder what Carol saw in her.

The decision to join them was taken out of your hands when Carol looked up from her cards and saw you hovering on the edge of the block. Raising her left eyebrow she beckoned you over and indicated for Brooke to vacate her seat. Throwing an apologetic look at her retreating back (you weren’t sure why Carol always made Brooke move) you sat on the edge of the table and watched the game.

After a few seconds observing it became pretty clear that this Russian could not play bridge. After throwing away a perfectly good card, you expected Carol to kick her out altogether, which was why you were so shocked when she simply started the game again. Carol had never started a game over; if you made a mistake you saw it through to the bitter end. You weren’t the only one surprised and you locked eyes with one of the other regulars, both of you having the same thought; better keep an eye on this inmate.

“Yard time inmates.” You jumped at the loud tone and blushed as snickers ran around the table. You were known as the jumpy one of C-Block and for good reason apparently. The Russian handed back her cards and tucked her glasses into her pocket before standing. Carol followed suit and pocketed her cards.

“It’s all in the hand you’re dealt Red, we’ll get you up to my standard in no time.”

I knew her name was a primary colour.

You trailed after Carol like a lost puppy for a few metres before turning back and rushing to your cell to get your jacket. You had hoped that Carol would have waited, painfully aware that she hadn’t said good morning to you yet. You left your cell with Jacket in hand and to your disappointment was met with a relatively empty cell block.

“Get a move on inmate.”

Grumbling under your breath, you joined the throng of inmates queuing to be released from one cage to another, suddenly aware of the number of khaki coloured uniforms around you. Keeping your eyes firmly ahead and trying to ignore the stares sent your way, you shuffled forward and once in the yard, made a beeline for a secluded corner. Shoving your arms through your sleeves and forcing the zip up, you gazed around the yard and made a mental note of the blue/brown ratio. So far you were winning which was a strange relief for you.

“Hey Y/N get over here.” Johnson shouted. You looked up and saw Carol and Red deep in conversation and you struggled to hide your grimace as you walked over.

“Looks like your boss has a new favourite.” A woman in khaki with bright blonde hair said as she past you.

“What was that?” She turned to face you and you crossed your arms, hoping to convey an air of don’t fuck with me.

“You heard me. D’you really think you would be the favourite for your whole sentence? Better wise up.” The woman in khaki, who you had seen trailing after the woman called Daddy sneered and walked off, leaving you to digest what she had said. Frowning, you trudged over and stood next to Johnson.

“What she want?” Your head shot up and you suddenly found yourself the centre of attention. Carol stared at you, waiting for an answer and you muttered “nothing of importance.” You weren’t sure if she was satisfied with that answer but she didn’t question it, instead returning to the conversation she had been having with Red before you came over.

Not paying any attention to what they were saying, you simply stared at the two of them, noticing for the first time how close they were standing. Surely there couldn’t be any truth to what Bimbo number 1 had said? More importantly, you couldn’t be jealous, could you? After all, Carol and Johnson were often alone discussing business matters but then again, Carol had never arranged for Johnson’s terrible haircut to be fixed free of charge.

“Y/N? Hey!”

“Huh? Sorry Carol.”

“Am I boring you?”

Oh boy. “I’m sorry I was just thinking that’s all.”

“About?”

You trading me in for an older model….

Thankfully the guards called an end to yard time before you had a chance to answer and you were able to slip into the crowd heading for work detail without any further incident. Carol watched you leave, her forehead crinkling as she wondered why you had evaded her question and why you had initially hung around the edge of the yard instead of immediately taking your place on her right-hand side.

“You coming?” She nodded and followed Red back inside, determined to teach her how to win at least one game of bridge before she died.

-/-/-/-

Slice….quarter….wrap….pack

You repeated the mantra in your head as you lined up another block of cheese with the cutter, bringing the sharp blade down before quartering it and wrapping it in plastic. Usually, this type of work was mind-numbing to the point of tears but today you were grateful for the boring task that was prison work.

“Heard that Russian chick is climbing the C-Block ranks.” You bristled at the word Russian and struggled to tune out the conversation, not wanting to think about that woman whilst you were near sharp objects.

“Maybe a good lay will get Carol to loosen the reigns a bit.” You were only just able to stifle your squeak of indignation; Carol seemed to enjoy what you did with your tongue several nights ago.

“Can she fuck at her age?”

“You know sex shouldn’t be the foundation of a relationship.”

Fucking really? How many of you bitches are gonna chime into this topic? You grabbed a knife and began chopping.

“Prison is lonely after all, it might be good for everyone involved if Barb and Carol settled down.”

Who is this bitch anyway? You glanced up and rolled your eyes as the inmate dubbed ‘baby killer’ started to discuss the merits of having a relationship built on trust and love. Why are you even talking about this don’t you ha- “Mother fucker!”

You snatched your hand away from the now red stained blade and brought it close to your chest, cradling your bleeding fingers as you whimpered. The redheaded guard scurried over, muttering something about points under her breath.

“Alright inmate get yourself to medical. You three clear this table up, the last thing we need is contaminated dairy.” Grateful for the reprieve, you grabbed a wad of paper towels and wrapped them around your fingers as you walked out of the room, heading towards medical. A nurse, seeing the blood-soaked paper towels guided you towards one of the tables and grabbed a pair of gloves. As you got yourself settled you glanced around at the other inmates and nodded to a few you recognised. One woman pointed at the towels now held in your other hand.

“Used my fingers as chopping practice.” You said and she laughed before rolling over to get some sleep. Your eyes lingered on the row of beds and your eyes widened in surprise. “Hey isn’t that Barb?” You asked the nurse, who was filling up a needle with an anaesthetic.

“You know I can’t confirm that.”

“Yeah that’s Barb. What did she do, overdose on her shit again?” The nurse didn’t comment, instead choosing to stick the needle into your fingers while you were distracted. 

“They say it was Carol who poisoned her stock.” The nurse muttered as she escorted you out 10 minutes later, your hand freshly stitched and bandaged. You glanced down at the bandage and sighed.

Who says health care is lacking in prison? Guess you’re out of action for a while though. Peering up and down the corridor to make sure no one was lurking about, you strolled back to C-Block. Along the way, you mulled over what the nurse had told you as you passed D-block, too lost in thought to worry about anyone approaching you.

You didn’t remember Carol saying she was putting a hit on Barb, but then again she could have just not told you.

God what is wrong with me? You asked yourself as the guards buzzed you in. Pulling your sleeve down to cover the majority of your bandage, you scanned the room and felt a wave of nausea well up inside you as you saw the new seating arrangements at Carol’s table.

“The problem with family is expectations.” You heard Carol say as you approached. “Unconditional love my ass crack. You gotta earn my affections they’re not a right.” Brooke glanced up and was about to offer you her seat when you shook your head, happy to stand and watch the game.

“In Russia we have a saying: ” Carol grinned and slapped her cards down.

“You don’t even have to translate that I hear you loud and clear, that’s why you’re my partner now.”

“A bit of translation would be helpful for those of us who don’t speak bullshit.” You whispered to yourself. You weren’t jealous, you were just pissed off and in pain…. not jealous.

“Now, onto business. Who’s got something for me?” With Carol’s words about earning her affection still ringing in your ears, you coughed softly and waited for Carol to acknowledge you.

“You’ve got something?” You didn’t care for Madison’s surprised tone and clenched your uninjured fist.

“Barb’s in medical.”

“What? Why?”

“Is she on death’s door at long last?”

“Quiet. How do you know she’s in medical?” Carol stared at you and you shuffled on the spot, not used to having so many eyes on you.

“I saw her there. One of the nurses told me it was a drug overdose.”

“What were you doing in medical?” You weren’t sure if you were imagining her worried expression but either way, you couldn’t ignore the butterflies currently invading your stomach. You raised your hand and she inhaled at the sight of the bandage.

“Ladies give us a minute.” You waited for everyone to leave before taking the seat that Brooke had left.

“Let me see.” Reluctantly, you placed your hand in her upturned palm, watching closely as she toyed with the bandage, deciding against unwrapping it.

“Who did this?”

“Myself.” Her eyes snapped up to yours and you froze at the horrified look on her face.

“I had an accident with a chopping knife.” You hastened to explain. “It’s fine, the bandage may be over…kill.” Your voice died away as she lifted your hand and began trailing kisses over your covered fingers, her lips caressing the material as you bit your lip.

“Anything else going on I should know about?”

“They think you poisoned Barb’s stash –“

“Not with my dipshit sister, I meant with you.”

You gazed back at Carol and sighed softly. Do you deny everything, including your jealousy and hope she never finds out or do you come clean and risk her throwing you aside for your foolishness?

“Just tired Carol. Didn’t get much sleep.” You tried not to stare too deeply into her ice blue eyes; they had an almost hypnotic effect on you.

“Go lie down. I’ll check on you later.” She leaned across the table, cupped your cheek and pulling your lips to hers. You moaned softly as her thumb stroked your cheek, her teeth nibbling on your bottom lip before her tongue swiped over it. She pulled back and you chased her lips, frowning when she pushed you back with her hand on your chest.

“Go on.” Cheeks burning, you slipped away from the table and approached your cell, kicking off your shoes and falling onto the bottom bunk. You could just about make out the conversation Carol was having and you resisted the urge to scream into your pillow when you heard her laugh at something Red had said.

Ok. You thought. Maybe I’m a little bit jealous.

-/-/-/-/

“Rise and shine sleepin’ beauty.” You groaned low in your throat and pressed your face into your thin pillow.

“Why are you in my cell Madison?”

“What? You ain’t happy to see me?”

“Get out before I kick you.”

She cackled and nudged your foot with a rolled up magazine. As promised, you kicked out with your foot and smirked when you felt it collide with something soft. Forcing your eyes open, you looked over your shoulder and watched Madison sulk away with a limp, one of your magazines firmly held in her grasp.

Well shit, never getting that back. You reluctantly climbed off the bed and peered out the door into the communal area, frowning when you realised that Carol and Red were nowhere to be seen. Determined not to let it get to you, you grabbed your shower caddy and a towel and trudged towards the shower block, hoping that a cold shower would help you calm down.

You knew deep down that you were being immature but there was something about Red you didn’t like. No that wasn’t true, you knew exactly what it was you didn’t like about her. You didn’t like how Carol was changing the rules for her, how she had gone from being number one on Carol’s hit list to her best friend in a matter of hours. You strolled into the shower block and was about to start removing your clothes when you heard a familiar voice.

“Try it, I was going for a Pina Colada feel.” Was that Carol? She never had a shower in the middle of the day. Please don’t be talking to Red.

“It smells like coconut….but tastes like soap.”

“Oh come on!” You slapped a hand over your mouth as your voice echoed through the shower block. You didn’t hear anything for a few moments and you thought you had gotten away with it when –

“Y/N? That you?”

Taking a deep breath you walked forward, stifling a moan as you saw Carol sat on one of the benches wearing nothing but a towel. Usually you would be quivering mess at such a sight, but as you suspected she wasn’t alone. Red was also sat there wearing nothing but a towel.

“Uh hi Carol, hi Red.” You shuffled on the spot and glanced around the room, not sure where to look. Carol took back the shampoo bottle from Red and offered it to you. You shook your head and she furrowed her brow.

“Soap doesn’t sit well with me.” Red smirked.

“Told you, terrible addition.”

“Well you gotta leave a smidge of shampoo in there for aroma. Also for the guards in case they check.”

“Well aren’t you full of tricks.” You were grateful that neither women were looking at you, not sure how you would have been able to explain you rolling your eyes at that comment.

“You’re gonna die in here you learn how to keep yourself entertained.” You could have screamed in frustration. Carol had never discussed her sentence with you and yet here she was casually bringing it up over a bottle of shamp-hooch with her next best friend. This was becoming ridiculous and you gripped your towel tighter, hissing as the pressure on your cut up fingers caused small drops of blood to seep through the bandage.

Carol looked up and beckoned you closer, frowning when you shook your head and pressed yourself against the cold, ceramic wall behind you.

“Let me see.”

“It’s fine, I’m gonna go.”

“You haven’t had a shower yet!”

“It’s a bit too crowded in here for me.” Red scoffed and looked around, pointing at several empty shower stalls. You bit your lip in annoyance at being called out and huffed.

“Well I probably shouldn’t get this wet.” You held up your hand and Carol stared at the small patches of blood. Before she could stand and drag you over to the bench, you made a mad dash for the door calling over your shoulder that you would see her later. Carol reluctantly let you go and let her head fall back against the wall with a dull thump.

“It’s like watching Bambi. She always that skittish?”

“Nah something’s off with her.” Carol couldn’t remember a time when you had acted this way.

“When Nicky was hiding something she would avoid me like the plague. But she couldn’t hide for long, I always found her.” Carol turned and looked at Red who had a faraway look in her eye. She turned and two shared a look before Red reached for the bottle, taking another sip before cringing at the taste.

“What was she usually hiding?”

“Drugs, she always did struggle to avoid them, I nearly lost her altogether once. I was too blind to see her struggling.” Red inhaled deeply and stared off into the distance, reliving the moment she watched her daughter be dragged off to Max.

Carol tapped her fingers against the bench before jumping up, reaching for her clothes and turning to get dressed. Red, sensing that their impromptu spa session had come to an end did the same and the two returned to C-Block.

-/-/-/-/

“Where’s Y/N?” Carol snapped as soon as she set foot in her block. Madison, who was rubbing her bruised calf pointed towards your cell and Carol took a deep breath and strolled towards it, suddenly nervous about what she would find. Would she walk in and find you passed out with a needle in your arm? The idea of finding you like that made her increase her pace, and she barrelled into your cell a few seconds later.

You glanced up from your book and gulped at the fiery look in her eyes, your heart beating wildly as she closed the cell door with a kick of her foot.

“I can explain.”

“Show me your forearms.”

“I know that I--wait what?!” Carol lunged forward and gripped your sleeve, rolling it up and staring down at your smooth skin, her fingers running up and down the crook of your elbow before repeating the gesture with your opposite arm. Seeing no puncture marks, she dropped your arms and breathed a sigh of relief.

“You wanna tell me what the hell’s going on?”

“Are you on drugs?”

“Am I –No! Jesus Carol of course not!” She knelt in front of you, leaned close and stared into your eyes. You refused to break eye contact, knowing that she was probably testing you and you really didn’t know what would happen if you failed. After a few seconds, her eyes relaxed and she reached for your hand, her thumb running across your knuckles as she looked away.

“Carol?”

“What’s going on with you? You’ve avoided me all day, you ran out of the showers like a guard was about to give you a shot…” She sighed and glanced up at you. “Do you not want to be with me anymore?”

Your mouth opened and closed in shock, unable to form the words you desperately wanted to speak. Of all the things you expected her to say, that wasn’t one of them. You were so busy worrying about being cast aside you never once thought that she would also be worrying about the same thing. She took your silence as confirmation and began to drop your hand, planning on licking her wounds in private but you gripped her hand tighter and forced her to look at you.

“Of course I want to be with you. How could you doubt how I feel for you?” The irony wasn’t lost on you and as you watched Carol’s eyes light up in relief, you realised just how much of an idiot you were. How could you have acted like such a child?

“What is it?” You glanced down at your joined hands.

“I …I thought you didn’t want me.” Your chin was titled up and you found yourself staring into her eyes once more.

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”

“I didn’t think you would notice, you’ve been so busy running off with Red.” She sighed and removed her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose before replacing her glasses. You rushed to get your side of the story in before she called you a needy brat.

“I thought you had replaced me with her. You both have so much more in common than we do so it would make sense, I just didn’t know how to handle not being your favourite anymore.”

“You’ll always be my favourite you idiot.” She muttered before gripping your chin and tugging you close, her lips firmly pressed to yours as she slipped her hand into your hair. You moaned and leaned into her, your tongue invading her mouth as she tugged on your hair, her stomach rolling as you moaned louder. Reluctantly you broke away, panting softly as she leaned her forehead against yours.

“Do you think I would kiss Red like that?” Breathless, you shook your head no and moaned softly as her hand slipped from your hair, trailing down your body until it rested on the top of your thigh. With a sultry look, her fingers danced over your covered mound, your breath getting heavier as she touched you.

“Do you think I would touch her like this?”

“Fuck I hope not.” She withdrew her hand and smirked at the desperate look you threw at her. She pressed her lips to your neck and whispered “later” against your skin.

“You ever heard the phrase the enemy of my enemy is my friend? That’s Red. She got extra time thanks to the bitch Frieda.”

“Oh.” It was all starting to make sense now. Carol wasn’t replacing you because she was tired of you, she was keeping Red close to nurture her hatred of Frieda. You rolled your eyes, incredibly frustrated at your behaviour and sheepishly glanced at Carol.

“So…you don’t want to trade me in for Red?” Carol scoffed and poked your stomach.

“Nah, her tits hang lower than the equator.”

“Seriously?!” She laughed and kissed you softly. You moved over on the bed and grinned as Carol joined you, wrapping her arm around your shoulder and pulling you tight against her.

“You’re lucky I like you. If anyone else had acted like you did earlier, they would have gotten their asses handed to them.”

“You’re right I am lucky.” The corners of her lips twitched and you grinned up at her, tucking your nose into the crook of her neck and sighing blissfully.

You both sat there for a few more moments, enjoying a rare moment of tranquillity before you suddenly looked up at her.

“How come you didn’t wake me earlier?”

“Are you kidding? You may be tiny but you kick harder than a horse.”


End file.
